Within hours of the announcement by the Shankaracharya of Puri Gobardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati that he would not climb the chariots during the Rath Yatra, a senior Daitapati today came up with a counter statement that there is no provision, nor mention of Shankaracharya climbing the chariots in the Record of Rights.

“It was the Daitapatis who had been inviting the Shankaracharya to the chariots as per the tradition”, said the Mukhya Badagrahi of the temple Jagannath Dasmohapatra in a press briefing here.

He said the decision of the Odisha High Court which directed that the Record of Rights be followed by all parties involved in the Rath Yatra should be respected by one and all.